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LIVE ZAZENKAI NETCAST at GOOGLE+ IS HERE:CLICK ON THE TAB ON LOWER RIGHT FOR 'FULL SCREEN

FOR THOSE NOT ALREADY MEMBERS OF THE CIRCLE WHO WISH TO JOIN TO SIT LIVE WITH A CAMERA, INSTRUCTIONS ARE POSTED AT THIS LINK. WE ARE NOW LIMITED TO 10 INDIVIDUALS WITH CAMERAS, BUT ANY NUMBER CAN WATCH LIVE 'ONE WAY' AND SIT-A-LONG VIA THE ABOVE SCREEN. IF JOINING WITH CAMERA, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR MICROPHONE IS MUTED:

As you can see, our Zazenkai consists of chanting the 'Heart Sutra' in English (the words are at the link below), some full floor prostrations in sets of three (please follow along with me ... or a simple Gassho can be substituted if you wish), followed by our Dedication, Zazen twice for about 30 minutes each, with 10 minutes of Kinhin in between, and we end the sitting with 'The Verse of Atonement' and 'The Four Vows'.

Please download and print out the Chants we will recite at the following link (PDF):

Probably as last time: live (w/out webcam) for first sitting and Kinhin - second sitting with recording on the next day...

Timo,

Of course we all have to work the sit into our schedules and I would completely understand if you have to cut it into two segments, but I would suggest doing the entire sitting recorded as a 90 minute "event" rather than breaking it up. Of course, that is not meant to disuade you from joining live...I just think it might be a good idea to see what that experience would be like for your practice.

But, of course, just a friendly suggestion. Taking my occasional 20-30 minute sits to 90 minutes (including the kinhin) is what really helped set me off down the path. A life changer to be sure.

Gassho,
Dosho

Ordained Priest -In-TrainingPlease take what I say with a grain of salt,
especially in matters of the Dharma!

Of course we all have to work the sit into our schedules and I would completely understand if you have to cut it into two segments, but I would suggest doing the entire sitting recorded as a 90 minute "event" rather than breaking it up. Of course, that is not meant to disuade you from joining live...I just think it might be a good idea to see what that experience would be like for your practice.

But, of course, just a friendly suggestion. Taking my occasional 20-30 minute sits to 90 minutes (including the kinhin) is what really helped set me off down the path. A life changer to be sure.

Hi Dosho,

Thanks a lot for your suggestion!
Actually, I have done entire recorded sittings, but family life is not always allowing 90 minutes, I'm afraid.
I agree with you - the whole thing "without interruption" really is somehow "deeper" for me.
The best in my case would actually be to try the entire live session, as it is 1 am in the morning when it starts and I am the only person still awake in the house at that time. But alas as soon as kinhin is over I am either too tired for another round of zazen or I have to get up early next morning, so it is more reasonable to go to bed...

The upcoming Rohatsu Retreat is a similar problem for me: as far as I understand it would be best to do it on two days as originally scheduled, but I don't know how to manage it. I am going to do as many zazen and kinhin as possible in two days (probably a week later due to charity work for the local kindergarten during that weekend), but won't be able to manage everything.

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Please take all my comments with a grain of salt - I am a novice priest and anything I say is to be taken with a good dose of skepticism - Shodo Yugen